Self-dispensing shelves of various types have long been used. Normally, they are ones having a smooth, low friction, angled surface on which packages slide. When a customer removes the lowermost package, another package, behind it, slides down to take its place. Such systems are wasteful of space, especially valuable space in freezer compartments, because the shelf must be at a relatively steep angle, such as 20 degrees from the horizontal, in order to work. The use of such a high angle reduces the number of items, such as packages of ice cream, which can be displayed and also means that the package is at an angle when being viewed.
Shelves which have rollers must have ones of small diameter, otherwise the shelf becomes bulky. Yet, the use of small rollers requires many of them and, so, becomes expensive to manufacture.
I have devised a system by which many small rollers can be manufactured and installed as a unit, thus cutting costs.